Parting Ways
by Lanthanon
Summary: A story of Mint and Maya, before Mint goes to her next quest to obtain a new [Relic]


Author's Notes: I liked Mint. Spunky princess magic-user. With a megalomania tendency. There were few characters like her in the RPG world. Plus those rings were neat ^^;;

 Anyway, Threads of Fate belongs to Squaresoft.  

This is a story before Mint paid a visit to Rue and invite him to go [Relic]-hunting in the epilogue. Beware from spoilers this story will sprout out of.

Happy reading.

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                Mint, princess of the East Haven kingdom, is bored.

                Although to be fair, she did miss her home ever since she left two years ago. Well "left" is such an understatement. She was practically been kicked out  from the castle ever since she had been deemed unworthy to take over once their father, the King, retires from his royal duties. Thus the responsibility fell on the shoulders of her younger sister Maya.

                Personally Mint thought that Maya could be a snake sometimes (no, make that most of the time), which the latter could hide much better from the populace. _That sneaky [expletive]!! The older daughter swore revenge on the council, her father and her sister, once she set her mind into a much bigger dream._

                ONCE SHE HAS THE POWER TO RULE THE WORLD!!!

                _Then I show them, those geeks!! Maya thinks she's so great with that Book of Cosmos… she'll see…I'll get a better more powerful [Relic]! And then I'll wish for world domination! And then I'll make her clean the toilets of the whole castle with a toothbrush._

                The idea made her smile. The crocodile type one.

                Two years of wandering had brought her to a quiet backwater town named Carona, where she met an unlikely (and odd) bunch of individuals: From Rue the axe-wielding shape shifter to this eccentric family whose head has an obsession to research for various [Relics] to odd man named Rod who was the driver of this neat boat named Pinto.

                Actually it wasn't called a boat named Pinto, it was the Pulsar Inferno Typhoon Omega. But just thinking of the ridiculous name was giving her a major headache. Despite whatever Rod said.

She had meet new friends and old enemies: namely Bella and Duke who she worked with a few years back. For some odd reason, they still together, even though Duke was annoying Bella which results of Duke flying through the air from a well placed punch. Talk about a classic sadistic-masochist relationship. But as Mint grudgingly agreed to their offered help in the course of that adventure, she realized that they weren't so bad. Compare them with the Doll Master whom she butt-kicked a long time ago, they were practically saints.

                Sadly, all her efforts went to waste. Well, her dream of world domination went down the drain, and not a complete waste. Rue, her rival, had got the power of the [Relic] to restore someone who was dear to him. Although she was annoyed and unhappy with it, she was glad Rue's troubles were over. At least he's not going to meddle around her business anymore. Now that he got his heart's desire.

Rue was a rather odd character for Mint. He was too self-sacrificing, too pessimistic. Although a very competent fighter (and his skills actually help them more than she could count) she honestly thinks he was way too uptight for his own good. Someday, it'd be the death of him. 

And now she was home, after being exiled she was finally home. But for the first time in her life, she felt like she no longer belonged here.

Maybe it was because she went out in the real, wide world. Or that she lost home perspective that she had a couple of years back. It was good to see Gramps and her father again. But even though she still annoyed everyone whom she met along the way, rebellious, hard-headed, and continues harassing the royal chef, it felt half-hearted. Artificial, even. 

She realized that outside was a greater place to learn than being confined here. She was restless.

It felt like sleeping on a ground full of rocks.

And she can't stand another evening with pumpkin soup. Honestly, Maya is trying to kill her.

And besides, she had recently got a letter from Doctor Klaus that he had lead for a [Relic]. It may not be a Dewprism, but it was better than nothing. Mint hasn't lost her sight of her destiny, and was glad to find an excuse to leave this boring place. It was selfish, true, but hey, at least it's an excuse.

-----

That night, around midnight, still wearing the same travel clothes when she ran off, she began to drop a long rope made up of bed sheets tied together. She tied the other end to a hook attached to a wall. And then peered over the window.

"And you honestly think that it will hold your weight, my dear sister?" said a voice.

"AAAA!!!…" Mint clapped her hands over her mouth to prevent the noise. She turned around warily to see the intruder. "Maya! You almost gave me a heart attack!" she whispered. "What are you doing here?!"

"You've been acting strange for a couple of days. I figured you're up to something. You are always so predictable."

"What!?!" Almost forgetting not to be so loud, Mint glared at her impudent sister.

"Are you still dreaming for that ridiculous goal in your head again?" It wasn't actually a demand. And Mint was stung that Maya still thought it was a childish dream.

"Yeah.  Well what are you going to do about it?! My mind's made up. You can lock me up or starve me but I'm leaving this place."  Actually the last part was a bluff, Mint wasn't sure if she'd survive that self-appointed torture.

Surprisingly, Maya didn't rise to accept the challenge. Or used her magic to summon the monster pumpkin for harassment. Rather, she was quiet, looking at Mint thoughtfully. "I gave my story to the Council and father a few weeks ago. How you saved the world from Valen with your magic and banished the Dewprism. They were impressed at how you made it so far."

"Hmph. About time they noticed."

"And they were seriously reconsidering their decision of you not being next in line."

"You've got to be kidding!" Mint asked her. Incredulous.

"I'm not. Just give a few more days, and you may be a crown princess."

"….." Mint looked at her sister, and then to the window, her misgivings and hopes were fighting deep down inside her. "You know, two years ago, I would probably been jumping for joy and having you clean the toilets. But now…"

"But now….?"

"I WILL RULE THE WORLD AND THEN HAVE YOU CLEANED THE TOILETS!" The last sentence had Maya face fault to the floor before she regained her composure, and finally getting angry.

"I'm talking seriously here!" she was saying, fuming, when Mint was now sitting on the window.

"Maya. I'm sorry but I can't stay any longer. It's just  I'm starting to think the castle is getting too small for me."

"…."

"Just promise me that you'll take good care of Dad, Gramps and the Kingdom for me. I don't think I'm in the mood for doing that right now. However," here Mint held out a finger. "If I hear anything that you are screwing up again then I will return to wring your scrawny neck."

 "….. You're on." Maya said firmly.

"OK. Gotta go. See ya." With that Mint took hold of the makeshift ladder and began her descent. Maya didn't bother to look out for her. Her sister had always done well on her own. Even though she would never admit it in front of Mint's face. No need to inflate her ego more than necessary.

"Why didn't you stop her, Princess Maya, as you said you will?" Gramps asked as he stepped forward from the shadows.

"Even if I detain her, she still finds a way to get out of it. My dear sister is too resourceful, but maybe." Maya looked over her shoulder, "she was right in her way. The castle is too small for her. She doesn't fit in with any of us."

"……." Gramps looked at the window where Mint left.

"Although she never did fit in with anyone in the first place." Maya corrected herself with a disgruntled look in her features. 

"So true, Princess." Gramps said, confident that Mint was out of earshot. That remark usually was returned with a kick. "And how will you say this to your father?"

"I think he wouldn't be even surprised." Was all Maya could say, staring the sky for a bit, before returning to her quarters. 


End file.
